Shikamoo Jazz - Chela Chela vol. 1

LISTEN: (Look at "Listen Tracks")


The album we are presenting is not a new release. It was left inside a box, for a long time un listened, and it re-emerged almost by accident but at the right moment, in fact now. Before you carry on reading, let the music play, serve yourself something to drink and if you smoke light up whatever you want.

Shikamoo Jazz is an orchestra made up of eleven veterans of the musical scene in Tanzania at end of the Second World War, during the colonial period, until the period of independence and of the government of Julius Nyerere.

The orchestras from which they came from were the Kiko Kids, founded during the forties and situated in Tabora, the Kilwa Jazz, the Urafiki Jazz, the Western Jazz and the Dar Jazz who played in Dar Es Salaam during the fifties; the Nuta Jazz state orchestra was founded after independence, Vijana Jazz the orchestra of the young political party organization of Nyerere and then the Tida, the Sarafi Trippers, the Uda Jazz, the Bantu Grou, the Orchestra Maquis that during the seventies made inTanzania explode the swahili rumba sound of Congolese matrices and Les Wanyika that exported the sound to Nairobi before Nyerere closed the frontiers.


In 1993 the old leaders of these historical bands founded the Shikamoo, a Swahili word that young people use to say hello to old people who - as mentioned on the CD cover - reply "maharabaa". The Shikamoo Jazz are an eclectic formation that played a mix of all musical genres which inflamed the African East Coasts clubs during the last sixty year, from swing to cavacha, from Cuban music to swahili rumba to the coast taarab.

Headed by Iddi Nhende, singer and percussionist, the Shikamoo include the spectacular guitars of Salulm Zahoro, Kassim Mponda and Ali Adinani, the bass of Mohammed Tungwa, the sax of Bakari Majengo and Ally Rashid, who both played also congas, the trumpet of Madar Mselle, the drum of Athumani Manicho, the percussions of John Simon and other voices of Juma Mrisho, Simon and Fundi Konde who appears like special guest.

The members of Shikamoo would not only play their old hits, but driven by success' enthusiasm have began composing new songs, reinterpreting the moods of the new urban realities. Soon Shikamoo became a musical happening not only in Dar es Salaam, but also Zanzibar, Morogoro and the refugee camps at the border with Uganda. In 1995 they toured in Kenya; it was a big success similar to that obtained home. Soon after they participated at the Womad in London together with the Congolese guitarist Mose Fan Fan who already in 1980 had played in Tanzania with Orchestra Makassy. The Shikamoo also accompanied old important big like Fundi Konde, author of many old classics of Kenyan music and the over 90 years old queen of Taarab of Zanzibar Bi Kidude.

Bi Kidude
What to say about their Chela Chela, other that what has been heard and not heard and given for granted thanks to the English label Retroafic who went to record them in Dar es Salaam and has then produced. Surely it is difficult to classify and describe like a unique and homogenous style. It is not music from the past, even if it may seem, because the electronic part is missing and because it sounds romantic like at the time of Africa's independence. It is not jazz, if for jazz we mean a precise style, also if it sounds jazz in it's free spirit, into the creativity of the solos and in the emotional richness of his songs. It is not rumba, but all Swahili or from Zaire rumba teachers, whether contemporary or from the past, would be enchanted by listening to those airy guitars and soft voices. It is not taarab but in some ways it's similar. Listening Shikamoo accompany Bi Kidude in his album Zanzibar one can understand why.

Its true, one can not say Chela Chela is new music, because the echoes of Tanzanian music, Zaire’s and also highlife from Ghana are part of it. But listening to it allows hope to arise, thanks to some strange alchemy, the old giants of Tanzanian music have simply allowed old trees to pollinate each other and to produce fresh fruits with recognizable tastes. And we like to imagine that this is repeatable and that it could represent a road - alternative to rap, to zouk and the fusions of the global potato music - throughout which African music can renovate itself remaining always itself.

In the meantime you are listening and appreciating the deliberately simple selection that we have here proposed, but be aware that on the album there is much more.



Vijnana Jazz

Nuta Jazz

Listen Tracks:
1. Nakuomba Radhi
2. Umeniasi Mpenzi
3. Kijiti (da Bi Kidude - Zanzibar)


Author: Shikamoo Jazz
Title: Chela Chela vol. 1
Year: 1995
Label: Retroafric

Tracks List:
1. Bahati (5.20)
2. Eva (6.51)
3. Nakuomba Radhi (7.33)
4. Ndule (5.30)
5. Sumu Ya Ugonjwa Ni Dawa (6.34)
6. Ilole Harwandi (6.48)
7. Umeniasi Mpenzi (7.30)
8. Donda La Mapenzi (5.32)